What do you do when someone suddenly decides that they’re the next messiah? Jerusalem Syndrome is a fairly well-known phenomenon. It happens when otherwise normal people suddenly become sure they’re ...

An American tourist arrested in Israel after smashing two ancient Roman statues on Thursday was suffering from a little-known mental disorder dubbed “Jerusalem syndrome,” his lawyer claimed, in which ...

Correction Appended: Feb. 8, 2010 The Jerusalem syndrome is a psychological disorder in which a visit to the holy city triggers delusional and obsessive religious fantasies. In its extreme variety, ...

In October 2023, a Jewish tourist from the United States began smashing ancient Roman artifacts in Jerusalem’s Israel Museum that he claimed were “blasphemous” and “against the Torah.” He damaged a ...

Jerusalem Syndrome is a phenomenon where visitors begin to exhibit intense religious behaviors. Some claim to be prophets or biblical figures during their stay. The condition has puzzled psychologists ...

Sometimes the sights and sounds of Jerusalem can overwhelm believers and trigger psychotic episodes. Israeli psychiatrist Pesach Lichtenberg says that he has seen visitors and residents overcome with ...